memeorandum: CNN Poll: With Mueller investigation over, Trump approval at 43% (CNN)

9:25 AM ET, May 1, 2019

Top Items:

Mueller complained that Barr's letter did not capture ‘context’ of Trump probe — Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III wrote a letter in late March complaining to Attorney General William P. Barr that a four-page memo to Congress describing the principal conclusions of the investigation into President Trump …

New York Times:

Mueller Objected to Barr's Description of Russia Investigation's Findings on Trump — WASHINGTON — Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, wrote a letter in late March to Attorney General William P. Barr objecting to his early description of the Russia investigation's conclusions …

Discussion: RedState, Talking Points Memo, NBC News, Raw Story, Fox News, CNN, The Guardian, Vox, The Stranger, The Daily Caller, NB Blog, Splinter, The Week, Mother Jones, New York Post and Mediaite

The Daily Beast:

Mueller's Willing to Testify, but Trump DOJ Is Holding It Up: Dems — The special counsel has indicated he's fine going up the Hill. But the Trump administration is getting in the way, Dems say. — House Democrats tell The Daily Beast they've been told Special Counsel Robert Mueller …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Week, Raw Story and Splinter

House Judiciary Dems:

Chairman Nadler's Statement on Mueller's Letter to the Attorney General — Washington, D.C. — Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler released a statement in response to reports that Special Counsel Robert Mueller wrote to Attorney General William Barr last month …

Discussion: NBC News, Talking Points Memo, The Gateway Pundit and Axios

Politico:
POLITICO Playbook: Bill Barr is not going to have a good day

Discussion: Washington Post, CNN and Raw Story

Marianne LeVine / Politico:
Just 2 lawmakers have seen less-redacted Mueller report

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and ABC News

Kyle Cheney / Politico:
Mueller complained to Barr about Russia report memo

Discussion: The Week and Raw Story

Associated Press: Barr questioning comes amid report of Mueller frustration

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
William Barr has a whole lot of explaining to do

Discussion: CNN, Fox News, Raw Story, The Week and POLITICUSUSA

Rachael Bade / Washington Post:
Pelosi assails Trump for ‘unconstitutional’ acts in new messaging campaign

Discussion: CNN, Fox News, Breitbart and Mediaite

Frank Bowman / Slate: William Barr Is Cowering at the Prospect of a Proper Cross-Examination

Politico:
Barr faces brutal hearing after Mueller revelation

Discussion: CNN and Raw Story

Matthew Chapman / Raw Story:
Trump's Justice Department is holding up Mueller from testifying to Congress: report

Discussion: The Daily Beast and NBC News

ABC News:
Read Attorney General William Barr's written testimony before Senate Judiciary Committee

Discussion: Washington Post, Power Line and PJ Media Home

Will Sommer / The Daily Beast:

‘Make Sh*t Up’: Inside Jacob Wohl's Bonkers Investment Plan — The bumbling political operative pitched investors on a scheme to use fake news stories to manipulate political betting markets for profit. — Bumbling conservative provocateur Jacob Wohl pitched investors this spring on a scheme …

Discussion: The Stranger, Washington Post and TheBlaze

Associated Press:

The Latest: Head of Venezuela secret police chastises Maduro — CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The latest on the political crisis in Venezuela (all times local): — The head of Venezuela's secret police is admonishing President Nicolas Maduro, in the biggest break so far by a senior member of the security forces.

Discussion: Bloomberg, The Week, CNN, Politico, Reason and New York Times

Washington Post:
Don't call it a coup. Venezuelans have a right to replace an oppressive, toxic regime.

Discussion: PJ Media Home and The Hill

Washington Post:
Clashes erupt in Venezuela as opposition leader Juan Guaidó, with troops, announces 'final phase …

Discussion: CNN, Defense One, NetBlocks, Latino Rebels, NBC News, Sara A. Carter, Raw Story, The Hill, The American Conservative, Power Line, Boing Boing and The Daily Caller

Nicholas Casey / New York Times:
Venezuelan Opposition Leader Steps Up Pressure, but Maduro Holds On

Discussion: The Guardian, NPR, Balloon Juice, CNSNews and Townhall

Jim Wyss / Miami Herald:
Venezuelan violence escalates as Maduro regime fights for political survival

Discussion: New York Times and The American Conservative

Washington Post:

WikiLeaks' Julian Assange sentenced to 50 weeks in prison in bail-jumping case — LONDON — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was sentenced on Wednesday to 50 weeks in a British prison for jumping bail. — His sentencing comes a day before an extradition hearing in London related …

Discussion: BBC, Talking Points Memo and The Daily Caller

Iliana Magra / New York Times:

Julian Assange Sentenced to 50 Weeks and Still Faces U.S. Charges — LONDON — A British court sentenced Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, to 50 weeks in prison on Wednesday for jumping bail when he took refuge in Ecuador's Embassy in London seven years ago.

Discussion: TechCrunch, NPR, Daily Wire, Political Wire and The Week

Alex Pareene / New Republic:

Democrats Have Created an “Electability” Monster — And this time, it's even eating establishment candidates. — Add to Pocket — Senator Kamala Harris was supposed to be a frontrunner. According to the rules of “the invisible primary,” in which donors and party activists coalesce around …

Discussion: The Week

David A. Graham / The Atlantic: One Big Difference Between Biden and Every Other Recent Democratic Nominee

Mike Allen / Axios:
Joe Biden is running like he won the Democratic primaries

Discussion: CNN, Political Wire and SSRS

Howard Kurtz / Fox News:
Media that dismissed Biden now see him as clear front-runner

Discussion: Politico and National Review

Claudia Koerner / BuzzFeed News:

We Asked All Of The 2020 Presidential Candidates Their Thoughts On Vaccines. Here's What They Said. — Measles, an extremely contagious and potentially dangerous disease, continues to spread in the US, with more than 700 cases so far this year in outbreaks that public health officials …

Discussion: Jezebel, Spokesman.com, twitchy.com, Washington Times, Fox News, Mediaite and Shareblue Media

Derek Kravitz / ProPublica:

How Taxpayers Covered a $1,000 Liquor Bill for Trump Staffers (and More) at Trump's Club — A top-shelf, closed-door drinking session. $546-a-night hotel rooms. A special government credit card for Mar-a-Lago. Taxpayers foot the costs — and the president profits.

New York Times:

As Trump Family Sues to Block Subpoenas, Democrats Ponder Impeachment — WASHINGTON — The Trump family lawsuit to block oversight of its finances has House Democrats scrambling to confront what many see as the gravest threat to congressional independence since the Nixon era …

Andrew Desiderio / Politico:
Democrats weigh a ‘Benghazi Trump’ strategy

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

New York Times:

A Rising Tide of Anti-Semitism — By publishing a bigoted cartoon, The Times ignored the lessons of history, including its own. — The editorial board represents the opinions of the board, its editor and the publisher. It is separate from the newsroom and the Op-Ed section.

Discussion: National Review, Simple Justice, Pirate's Cove, Fox News, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, New York Post, Mediaite, Gothamist and New Republic

Heather Long / Washington Post:

GOP support for Stephen Moore falls apart, leaving Trump's Fed pick with slim chance of confirmation — One GOP senator has come out against him and predicted Moore wouldn't get confirmed. — President Trump's plan to put ally Stephen Moore on the Federal Reserve Board appeared on the edge …

Discussion: Politico, The Root, Mother Jones and CNN

Terrence Dopp / Bloomberg:

Trump Fires Off 60, Mostly Anti-Biden, Retweets in an Hour — Firefighters union endorsed Democratic frontrunner Monday — Trump retweets messages from dozens of purported firefighters — President Donald Trump retweeted more than five dozen messages in an hour Wednesday morning …

Discussion: New York Times, Talking Points Memo, USA Today, Washington Post, Washington Times, New York Post and Mediaite

Mathew Ingram / Columbia Journalism Review:

The hiring spreadsheet and the clash at The Markup — There are things about the recent implosion of The Markup that make it unique—in particular, that it raised $23 million with nothing but a trio of co-founders and a brief description of the product they wanted to create.

more at Mediagazer »

Page Six:

Hunter Biden splits from brother Beau's widow Hallie — Hunter Biden has allegedly split from Hallie Biden — the widow of his late brother, Beau — Page Six has exclusively learned. The breakup comes two years after we first reported that the former in-laws were dating in 2017.

Benjy Sarlin / NBC News:

‘Democracy Dollars’: Gillibrand's plan to give every voter $600 to donate to campaigns — The Democratic presidential hopeful wants to use a voucher system to clean up politics — but it's got strings attached. — WASHINGTON — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., unveiled a plan on Wednesday …

Discussion: Daily Caller News Foundation and Political Wire

Washington Post:

At Trump golf course, undocumented employees said they were sometimes told to work extra hours without pay — HILLSDALE, N.Y. — His bosses at the Trump country club called it “side work.” — On some nights, after the club's Grille Room closed, head waiter Jose Gabriel Juarez …

Discussion: Splinter, America's Voice, The Week, POLITICUSUSA, Talking Points Memo, Axios, Raw Story and Jezebel

Jonathan O'Connell / Washington Post:

Congressional Democrats' emoluments lawsuit targeting President Trump's private business can proceed, judge says — The decision sets the stage for lawmakers to possibly begin seeking documents and depositions from the Trump Organization. — Jonathan O'Connell, Ann E. Marimow, Carol D. Leonnig -

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Politico, Axios, Slate, Raw Story and Daily Kos

CNN:

CNN Poll: With Mueller investigation over, Trump approval at 43% — WASHINGTON (CNN)With Robert Mueller's investigation finished, Donald Trump's approval rating stands at its highest level since April 2017 in a new CNN Poll conducted by SSRS, as the share who say Democrats in Congress are doing …

Discussion: Political Wire, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Week and Raw Story